Bag folding machine



A. ANDREAS BAG FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 14. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 2, 1934. A. ANDREAS BAG FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 14. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m on. N Nd mm f Jan. 2, 1934. A. ANDREAS ,942r,59

BAG FOLDING MACHINE Filed Aug. A14, 1930 :5 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES BAG FOLDING MACHINE Arno Andreas, Munster, Germany Application August 14, 1930, Serial No. 475,300,

and in Germany August 12, 1929 18 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for preadapted to contain cement, chalk, plaster of Paris, and other materials of a similar character.

Paper bags for the uses referred to are produced from strong and tenacious stock and usually consist, especially for large bags, of several sheets of paper put together in ply arrangement and folded into a flattened tube from which the desired bag lengths are cut. Subsequently, the end portions of the cut-off bag lengths are folded over along a transverse fold line and then the folded-over portions are opened, spread and flat-` tened to form at one side of the flattened tube two triangular end sections whose base edges are parallel and extend transversely acrossv the fold line. By these pre-folding operations the socalled cross ends are produced.

The machine of my present invention has been designed especially for use in connection with my improved apparatus for manufacturing valve nbags, described and claimed in my copending application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 475,299, filed August 14, 1930, the object being to supply properly pre-folded bags to the mentioned apparatus without the use of manual labor. It is to be understood, however, that the machine of the present invention is not limited in its use to the mentioned apparatus, but is capable of use separately and generally in prefolding paper bags.

The present invention involves in its construction and arrangement two similar revolvable carrier bodies of a prismatical character, having a corresponding number of equal faces, and these bodies are in uniform symmetry, preferably revolved by means of a common axial shaft. Bag lengths in flattened tube form are clamped upon the successive'faces of the tube bodies and while so held the opposite end portions of the tubes are automatically pre-folded during a partial revolution of the bodies. With the carrier bodies are associated stationary drumsl having cam paths or grooves by means of which to operate engaging devices adapted-to change the flat opposing end portions of the tube 'into crossed ends. In carrying out this transformation, a catch finger is caused to engage the underlying tube wall and hold it firmlyv upon the face of the body, leaving thereby the outer tube wall free. A slide member then separates the outer tube wall from the inner one and bends the outer tube wall back over the clamping member along which is produced the transverse line of fold. Triangular end sections whose bases cross the transverse line are thereby produced at the opposite sides of the slide and these sections are flattened by presser shoes.

At least one of the carrier bodies with its accompanying drum is mounted for adjustment axially toward and away from ythe other carrier body in order that the machine may be used for pre-folding bags of different lengths. If desired, both carrier bodies with their accompanying drums may be mounted for axial adjustment.

Other objects and aspects of the invention will 05 appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the construction, combinationl and relative arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and subsequently pointed out in the subjoined claims. The invention will be best vunderstood by referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this application and in whichz Figure 1 represents a side view, partly in central section, of a machine produced in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view and section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows associated with said line.

Fig. 3 is a' fragmentary view of a tubular bag, showing the notches in the outer wall thereof for the 'passage of the catch fingers;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the tubular bag showing the flattened crossed ends produced by the machine;

Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, are detail views, -more vor less diagrammatical in character, illustrating progressively the operations involved in producing the crossed end sections, Figs. 5, 6 and'l representing longitudinal sections and Figs. 8 90 and 9 being in plan.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, comprises a supporting structure consisting of a base plate or flooring l0 and upright, oppositely disposed, `95 standards 11 and 12 wherein a shaft 13 is suitably mounted. Power may be transmitted from any suitable source and by any suitable transmission for the operation of the shaft. Arranged upon the shaft for rotation therewith and in confronting relation are two bag carrier struc- .tures 14 and 15, the former being, in the present embodiment, fast with the shaft, while the-latter is secured thereto by a feather key connection 16 to allow limited'axial adjustment along the 105 rotary shaft. Aside from the manner in which they are mounted, the two rotary carrier structures are alike in construction. They are hollow and have outer open ends, while at their inner confronting endsa disc 1'? is provided to connect 110 them with the hub vportions 18 which surround -the shafts. Externally the carrier structures are i the folding operations. I

Projecting into the open ends of the carrier structures 14 and 15 are stationary drum structures 19 and 20, respectively. In the present embodiment, the drum vstructure 19 is secured .to the end standard 11, while the drum structure 20 is mounted for axial movement in accompaniment with the movement of the carrier 15. The means whereby to adjust the positionof the drum 20 is herein represented as consisting of a standard 21 having a foot portion 22 slidably engaging a guide 23. A screw member 24 threaded through a bracket 25 on the floork 10 has threaded engagement with the foot portion 22, whereby on adjustment of the screw to adjust the drum 20 axially along the shaft 13. In the construction shown, the carrier 15 is moved axially in accompaniment withthe drum 20 through the intertting engagement of av U-shaped ring 26 attached tothe carrier with a finger 27 secured to the drum 20. This mode of connection does not interfere with the rotation of the carrier relative to the drum.

At this point it is desired to call attention to the manner in which the flat folded tubular bags are prepared and fed to the machine. In Fig.

3 I show a flattened tubular bag a having notches b cut in the free end edges of the side wall c. Bags, thus made, are conveyed to the machine by means of an endless conveyer 28 whose delivery end, as best shown in Fig. 1, is positioned in a plane between the planes of the inner ends of the carrier structures. The bags are placed on the conveyer transversely thereof so that they are supported at their midsections, their opposite end portions projecting well beyond the opposite longitudinal edges of the conveyer. Moreover, the bags are thus conveyed with their sidewalls c facing downward sol that when seized by the machine, their side walls d will immediately overlie the maintaining faces of the machine, while their side walls c face outward.'

In the present embodiment each of the car-` rier structures has fourequal faces 29 and the carriers are so mounted on the rotary shafts that the faces are in complete symmetry. This arrangement provides for the clamping of .a bag upon and between the corresponding symmetrically arranged faces of the two carriers. In this way, a plurality of bags can be operated upon at on'e time.

Each of the faces is formed with a relatively wide recess 30 between a land 31 and its inner end. Each face between its inner and outer ends has an outwardA deformation 32. At th outer end of each face there is mounted upon suitable outwardly projecting bosses 33 a pin 34 whereon is mounted a rocking mechanism. This rocking mechanism comprises a clamping device consisting of two arms or levers 35 which, at their inner ends, carry a clamping plate 36 adapted to press a received bag into the recess 30, and which, at their outer ends, have portions provided with rollers 37 engaging in a cam groove 38 secured to an inner periphery of the associated drum. Another rocking device pivoted upon a pin 34 at each face comprises a lever-39 carrying at its outer end a roller 38 (Fig. 2) operating in a cam groove (not illustrated). At its inneend, said lever 39.

is connected with an actuable catch finger 41 which is adapted to enter through a notch b in the bag wall c so as to press the end of the bag wall d upon the land 31. Still another rocking device is mounted upon a pin 34" at each face comprising at opposite sides of the clamping mechanisms a lever 42 equipped at its front end with a presser shoe 43; arid each of said levers 42 at their outer ends has a roller 40 engaging a cam groove 44. Also associated with each face is a folding mech- -`anism comprising a slide 45 having operative mounting in the outward deformation 32 so as to move parallel with the axis of the shaft 13. Fixed to each slide 45 is an actuator arm 46 carrying a roller 47 which is engaged in a cam groove 48 .fixed to the periphery of the associated drum.

Each slide 45 is made in the form of a plate as best illustrated in the right-hand end of Fig. 1. In Fig. 5 diametrically andat a larger scale the situation of the bag walls c and d is illustrated, the latter being caught by the i'lnger 41. vIn Fig. 6 the slide plate 45 begins to fold over the bag wall c, while, in Fig. 7the folding operation is finished.

Thetwo carrier structures are revolved in a direction counter to the feeding movement of the endless conveyer 28; and, assuming that the rock- Aingdevices are in the relative position shown in Fig. 1, the conveyed bag is carried into the position shown by the dash-dot line 50 in Fig. 1, where it occupies a position below the recesses 30 and lands 31 of the symmetrically alined faces of the two carrier structures. In operation, upon the rotation of the shaft 13 the levers 39 are rocked to movey the catch ngers 41 through the notches b to engage and press the ends of the wall d4 against the lands; and the clamping devices are rocked to cause the clamping plates 36 to press both walls of the bag inta the recesses 30, it being noted in this connection that the clamping plates thus operate at a distance from the free ends of the bags and cooperate with the inner ends of the lands to produce transverse folding lines as e at the opposite ends of the bag, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus gripped, the bag is lifted from the conveyer under the turning of the carrier structures.

Owing to the provision of the lands and to the gripping action of the catch ngers, when the clamping plates press both walls of the bag into the recesses 30, the free ends of the outer bag wall c are spread outwardly from the lands and hence from the corresponding ends of the bag wallkd. As this separating action takes place, the slide plates 45 are actuated so as to engage against the inside faces of the bag wall c and thereby, under the continued movements of the slide plates, fold the free end portions of the bag wall c over and upon the clamping plates so as to form the triangular end sections f. In this way, at either side of each` clamping plate there is formed a triangular section f which, immediately upon its forma-K tion, is pressed down at by a presser shoe 43. By the time the triangular end sections f have been folded and flattened, the carrier structures have revolved a sufficient distance' to permit the discharge,L of the bag in the direction indicatedI by the arr awhead 51las shown in Fig. 2*,"it being manifest from the arrangement illustrated and described that through the control-of the rocking devices by the cam grooves', all'the rocking devices will be actuated reversely so as-to permit the bag to fall from the carrier devices. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, suitable stop arms 52 may be arranged to serve as abutments for the bags at the precise position where the bags are to be seized by the carrier both ends of the bag accurately and with dispatch and without the use of manual labor.

While I have illustrated and described my invention as comprising a certain selected form, it will be understood that changes and alterations may be made inthe particular details set forth and in the particular forms of construction disclosed, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the particular details set forth or to the particular forms of construction, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly ccme within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. The combination with a rotary bag carrier structure and a drum structure axially associated therewith andA provided with cam grooves, of gripping mechanism and folding mechanism on the carrier structure having parts engaging said grooves so as to be operated thereby on the rotation of the carrier structure, said gripping mechanism operating to hold the bag to the carrier structure, and .said folding mechanism operating to fold over portions of the bag so as Ato produce a crossed en'd thereon.

2. The combination with a rotary bag carrier structure and a drum structure axially associated therewith and provided with camv grooves, vof

gripping mechanism and folding mechanism on the carrier structure having parts engaging said grooves so as .to be operated thereby on the rotation of the carrier structure, said gripping mechanism operating to hold the bag to the carrierv structure, means with which the gripping mechanism coacts to cause one wall of the bag at the open end thereof to spread from the other wall, said folding mechanism operating to engage the spread wall andfold over portions thereof-so as to produce a crossed end on the bag.

3. The combination with a rotaryV bag carrier structure and a drum structure axially associated therewith and provided with cam grooves, of gripping mechanism and folding mechanism on `the carrier structure havingY parts engaging said grooves so as to be operated thereby on the rotation of the carrier structure, said gripping mechanism operating to hold the bag to the carrier structure, means with which the gripping mechanism coacts to cause one wall of the bag at the open end thereof to spread from the other wall, said folding mechanism operating to engage the spread wall and to fold over portions thereof so as to produce a crossed end on the bag, and. means for flattening the crossed end of the bag.

' ranged to clamp theI bags rmly to the faces of the carriers, and said folding mechanisms being constructed and arranged to fold portions'of the `clamped bags upon the bodies of the bags.

5. In combination, a rotary shaft, two rotary carriers mounted on the shaft for lrotation therewith and provided with faces whereon to support bags longitudinally between them, stationary drums associated with the carriers, gripping mechanisms 4and folding mechanisms on the faces of the carriers and having parts engaging cam grooves in the drums whereby to be operated on the rotation of the carriers, said gripping mechanisms being constructed and arranged to clampthe bags rmly to the faces of the carriers, said folding mechanisms being constructed and arranged to fold portions of the clamped bags upon the bodies of the bags, one of the carriers and its associated drum being mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the shaft to vary their relative position with respect to the other carrier and drum and thus compensate for differences in the length of bags.

6. A rotary carrier comprising, with a drum having cam slots in its periphery, a gripping device and a folding device on the carrier, each having a part engaging a different cam slot to be thereby operated on the rotation of the carrier, said gripping device being mounted for rocking movement and including a plate adapted on movement of the device in one direction to clamp a bag against the face of the carrier so as to leave the open end of the bag exposed, said fold ing device including a slide adapted on movement of the device in one direction to engage al wall of the exposed end of the bag and fold the engaged wall back over said plate so as to produce triangular portions at the end of the bag at the opposite sides of said plate.

7. A rotary carrier comprising, with a drum having cam slots in its periphery, a gripping device, a folding device and presser devices on the carrier, each having a part engaging a cam slot to be thereby operated on rotation of the carrier, the gripping lland. presser` devices being mounted for rocking movement and said gripping device including a plate adapted on movement of the device in one direction to clamp a bag against the face of the carrier so as to leave the open end of the bag exposed, said folding device including a slide adapted on movement oil the device in one direction to'engage a wall of the exposed end of the bag and fold the engaged wall back over said plate so as to produce triangular portions at the end of the bag at opposite sides of said. plate, and said presser devices including shoes adapted on movement of the devices in one direction to press the triangular portions lat upon the face of the carrier.

8. A rotary carrier the face of which is provided With a recess and a land, a drum axially alined with the carrier and provided with cam 'slots in its periphery, a catch device, gripping device and folding device on the carrier, each having a part engaging a different cam slot to be thereby operated on the rotation of the carrier, said catch device and gripping device being mounted for rocking movement and said catch device including a catch finger adapted on movement of the device in one direction t'o engage and clamp the inner wall of the open end of the bag upon the land, said gripping device including a plate adapted on movement of the device in one direction to clamp the bag in the recess so as to leave the open end of the bag exposedand causeA` the free outer wall to spread from the inner held wall, and said folding device including a slide adapted on movement of the device in one direction to engage the free outer wall and fold it back over said plate so as to produce triangularportions at the end of the bag at opposite sides of said plate.

9. A rotary carrier the face of which is p rovided with a recess and a land, a drum axially alined with' the carrier and provided w-ith cam slots in its periphery, a catch device, gripping device and folding device on the carrier, each i ment of the `device in one direction to engage and 1 clamp the inner wall of the open end of the bag upon the land, said gripping device including a plate adapted on movement of the device in one direction to clamp the bag in the recess so as to leave the open end of the bag exposed and cause the free outer wall to spread from the inner` held wall, said folding device including a slide adapted on movement of the device in one direction to engage the free outer wall and foldv it back over said plate so as to produce triangular portions at the end of the bag at opposite sides of said plate, and a rocking presser device on the carrier at either side of the clamping device, operated by one of the cam slots, and each including a shoe adapted to press the triangular portion at against the face of the carrier.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a rotary carrier having a recess and a land on its face, of a clamping device, on the carrier, mounted for rocking movement and provided with a plate adapted. on movement of the device in one direction to clamp a bag in the recess so as to leave the open end of the bag exposed upon the land, a folding device on the carrier including a slide adapted on movement of the device in one direction to engage the outer wall of the open end and fold the engaged wall back over said plate so as to produce triangular portions at theend of the bag at opposite-sides of said plate, and means for operating said clamplng device and' folding device independently of each other during the rotation of the carrier.

11. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a rotary carrier having a recess and a land on its face, of a catch device mounted on the `carrier for rocking movement and including a finger adapted to engage and press the end of the inner wall of a bag upon the land, a clamping device mounted on the carrier for rocking movement and including a plate adapted to clamp the bag in the recess and in cooperation with the land to cause the outer end wall of the bag to spread from the held inner end wall, a slide on'the carrier adapted to engage the spread wall and fold-it' "over the plate so as to produce triangular portions at the end of the bag at opposite sides of the plate, and means for operating the rcatch device, clamping device and slide independently of each other during the rotation of the car-rier. l

12. In combination, a rotary carrier having a recess and a land, a rockable catch device adapted to engage and press the inner end wall of a bag upon the land, a rockable clamping device adapted to clamp the bagC in the recess and in cooperation with the land to cause the outer end wall of the bag to spread from the inner wall thereof, and a working slide adapted to engage the spread outer end walll and fold the same so as to produce triangularportions.

13. In combination, two spaced axially alined rotary carriers, clamping devices on the carriers movable from an open position to a closed position, a conveyer for advancing a bag into position between the clamping devices and the carriers, and means for moving said clamping devices into closed position to clamp the bag against the carriers whereby to remove the'bag from the conveyer for support by the carriers.

14. In combination, two spaced axially alined rotary carriers, clamping devices on the carriers movable from an open position to a closed position, a conveyer for advancing a bag into a position in which the opposite ends of the bag will be positioned between the clamping devices and the carriers, means for moving said clamping devices into closed position to clamp the ends of the bag against the carriers whereby to remove the bag from the conveyer for support by the carriers, and operative means on the carriers-for cross folding the ends of the bag.

15. In combination, two spaced axially alined rotary carriers, clamping devices on the carriers movable from an open position to a closed position, a conveyer for advancing a bag into aposition in which the opposite ends of the bag will be positioned between the clamping devices and the carriers, means for moving said clamping devices into closed position to clamp the ends of the bag against the carrierswhereby to re-` move the bag from the conveyer for support by the carriers, operative means on the carriersfor cross folding the ends of the bag, comprising means for folding `the outer end walls of the bag so as to produce triangular portions, and means for flattening said ltriangular portions.

16. A machine for pre-folding crossed ends on bags, comprising a rotary bag carrier, means for clamping the bag to the carrier at a point inwardly of the free end of the bag so as to permit spreading of the outer wall of the bag from the inner wall thereof, mea'ns for gripping the inner wall, means engageable with the outer wall for spreading the same outwardly from the inner wall to produce outside crossed sections at the corners of the bag between the two walls, means for pressing the outer wall and sections flat upon the outside of the bag, and a stationary drum with respect to which said carrier rotates, `controllingthe operation of each of the aforesaid means during a complete revolution' of the carrier.

A '17. In combination, two bag carriers arranged 'in aligned relation and having similar bag carrying faces, means for positioning a bag with its opposite ends adjacent the carrying faces of the respective carriers, means on the carriers for gripping the bag to the faces for the support of the bag by the carriers and so as to permit spreading of the outer end walls of the bag from the inner end walls thereof, means engageable with the outer end walls for spreading the same from the inner end walls, and separate means for pressing the spread walls flat upon the bag and against the carrying faces. y

' 18. In combination, two bag carriers arranged in aligned relation and having similar bag carrying faces, means for positioning a bag with its opposite ends adjacent the carrying faces of the respective carriers, meanson the carriers for gripping the bag to the faces forthe support of the bag by the carriers and so as to permit spreading of the outer end walls of the bag from the inner end walls thereof, means engageable with the outer end walls for spreading the same i'rom the inner end walls, separate means for pressing the spread walls flat upon the bag and against the carrying faces, and means for operating said gripping means, said spreading means and said pressing means individually in timed succession and during a complete revolution of the two carriers. ARNO ANDREAS 

